Authors Note:  Whoooaaaa!!! I've got about a thousand people reading Book 1 (:  That's like... a lot... AWEOSOME! Like/ comment <3 And be sure to check out my other book 'Immortal Lust'!  Thanks!

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Ares and I laid together on the couch in his living room, laughing about a mortal movie we had just watched.  Me in my white, slimming gown and he in his dress shirt and pants with his tie thrown across the room and the top three buttons undone.  His living room was your average living room, nothing unworldly or godly, even, about it.  It had a large television mounted on the wall, a sexy black leather couch that could easily sit four people, or two very, very comfortably, a dark wood coffee table Hephaestus crafted for him eons ago,  and a bar by the wall surrounded by black leather bar stools.  It was always the room we hung out in, filled with so many fond memories.  We either sat on the couch and talked or went over to the bar and had a drink.

"You're amazing, you know that?"  Ares whispered pulling me closer against his body and kissing me with his slightly chapped lips.  I wasn't into it today, my mind troubled and darting between being here and somewhere far far away, so I pulled away, trying to make it out to be no big deal.  The news I heard earlier clung to the back of my head and formed a lump in my throat.  I needed to tell him, ask him.  "What wrong?  Usually you're all into romantic date night..."  Ares asked, disappointed at the loss of my lips, slounching back further into the couch.  

I sighed, nervous, thinking of the best way to bring it up.  Guilt washed over me, it wasn't fair to Ares for me to suddenly act uninterested.  He needed to know what was on my mind, that way he could tell me if it was a big deal or not.  And it had to be no big deal.  You see, lately a LOT rumors had been going around. The kind of rumors that spread like wild fires.  The kind papparazzie loved, because it showed people's true colors... Nasty rumors... Of Ares and Aphrodite.

Ares being my long term fiance, and Aphrodite being one of my best friends for as long as I can remember, I had pushed these rumors away, not believing a single word. Espeacially since our wedding date was approaching quickly. But today when an actual photograph of them strolling out of the forest with their fingers intertwined was pushed infront of me by my assistant I knew I would have no choice but to ask him about it. I couldn't go on any longer feeling as though everyone was clued in on something that I wasn't. Gods and commoners alike walked on egg shells around me. I needed the truth.

"Um, Ares darling?" I asked sheepishly, staring at the ground.  Ares made a humming noise in my ear.  I continued speaking, my voice growing shakier with each word.  "I've been hearing these rumors floating around.  You have too, I'm sure. It may be no big deal.  It probably IS no big deal, they're most likely just rumors.  Its just they're... they're something awful... they're something about you..."

Ares sat up and opened his mouth like he had something to say but couldn't get it out.  "Well..." He started, nervously and frantically tried to grab onto words. When they came out, they were fast and mashed up a little.   "You know people like to talk.  What, um, what did they say?"

"Why are you getting nervous?" I asked sitting up as well.  The way Ares was acting was awfully... Suspicious. "You know what rumors I'm talking about, don't you?  And don't lie!  You've heard them as well.  And now that I'm confronting you you're... You're getting nervous!"  My heart pounded in my chest, and my head throbbed.  

This couldn't be happening.

"I'm not." He lied, I could sense it, shaking his head and looking down  He got up and hopped over the back of the couch,  leaning against the wall and looking at the floor.  "I just... I THINK I know what you heard and um..."  He swallowed, once again trying to grasp onto words, but they wouldn't come out no matter how hard he tried.

"And what?" I asked afraid.  I stood up, standing opposite of Ares with my feet spread apart.  Ares never acted like this. A once cool and collected god was now crumbling in front of my very eyes. Sweat started to build up on his forehead.  I waited a minute or two for Ares' response, but nothing came.  He just continued swallowing hard and looking at the ground.  "Ares it's not... It's not true is it?  It's just another silly rumor... Right?"  I waited for him to deny it.  But he didn't. He stared at the floor as if it held something intricate and consuming, but it was a regular old marble floor. My heart lowered with every passing second.  "You- You didn't cheat on me, did you?"  I breathed out hoarsely, my throat constricting.

Ares looked up at me and ran his hands through his hair, stressed to his capacity and thinking up another lie no doubt. "Okay- Okay,  I can't lie to you.  You deserve better. You deserve everything, Athena, and I mean ev-"

"Did you?!" I yelled, glaring at him through tears.  "Or not?!"  Ares' face was red, with a single tear streaming down his face.  Denial was taking over me though I saw red and blurred vision through tears. "Because I can't imagine you doing that to me. You didn't. I know you didn't. You didn't. You didn't. You love me too much, we-we've got too much planned for ourselves, for our-our-our future. You didn't cheat on me. You didn't, did you? You didn't... Did you?" I hyperventilated as the walls seemingly closed in around me, everything I knew and thought came crumbling to the ground in one slow, sad, regretful motion by Ares.

He nodded.  My heart fell to the ground, shattering.  I felt myself dim a bit, like my soul darkened. Denial left my system completely, rage and the need to avenge took its place.  I knew this would have a huge affect on me, though I couldn't predict how big.  I could feel it.  Like this heart-breaking event was turning me cynical.  I could feel my energy draining.  I knew I should sit down or better yet leave and save myself the regret of what was to follow.

But I couldn't.  The hate inside me was building, from the hurt.  From the betrayl.  Wicked thoughts stirred in me, thoughts of murder and ways to drive people insane.  Ares had done more damage then he would ever know. I could've killed him then and there, turned him to ash judging by the rage rolling around and building inside me.

"For how long?" I asked cooly, gripping at my waist, praying I didn't pass out. I needed to hear this.

"Athe-"

"For how long?!" I forced out through clenched teeth. My heart pounded so hard I was sure you could see it pulsing outside my body.

Ares waited what seemed like an eternity before finally answering. And once he did, I wished I had never asked. "Years, Athena. Years. I'm so-"

"Sorry." I filled in for him, my eyes snapping up to meet his. "I get it,  you're sorry." I began pacing back and forth a few feet, trying to slow my thinking to an understandable speed. I was processing somethings to slow, and others too fast. What do you want to do? I asked myself. Kill him or let him live. Can you kill him? You can kill him, he's got nothing on him. 'Years' he said, how many years? "How many years?!" I screeched out, my throat scratchy. Ares looked as though he didn't want to say, but he wasn't getting away from this easily. "I need to know, Ares. Tell me. Tell me now."

"Okay... Athena, it was... It was years, decades... Lets round it up to 50... 50 years, but let me expla-"  I cut him off by pulling out a dagger I always kept on me for protection and throwing it, hitting him in the shoulder, pushing deeply into him.  "Ahh!"  He yelled.  He pulled it out with a painful expression on his face. Ichor spread across his shirt.  I pulled out another dagger out of my dress and charged, determined to kill Ares. 50 years?!

"I'll kill you!"  I yelled at the top of my lungs.  "I'll kill you!  I will!"  I went for a stab but Ares grabbed my wrist and shoulder, then backed me against the wall he had been leaning on roughly, my head smacking the wall with a wicked crap, making me lose my energy completely. Luckily, Ares was pinning me there, or I would have fallen to the ground.  Tears ran wildly down my cheeks.   "I trusted you!"  I sighed pathetically through tears, looking Ares in his own crying eyes.  Ares still had my wrist lifted in the air away from himself. Knowing I couldn't kill him and live with myself after, and trusting that It wasn't worth it, I let the dagger I held go, hearing it hit the floor with a thud and a clatter.  

Ares glanced down for a second, kicking the dagger away from me so I couldn't try to grab it.

"Athena, I-... I'm so sorry."  Ares said hunching over and pressing his lips to the top of my head.  We remained like that, crying, for a couple of minutes.  Me out of both pain, anger and sorrow for my broken heart, and Ares out of pity and regret of his actions.  

But he wasn't completely sorry.  Not yet.  Finally, Ares breathed out "I need you." ending the silence.

I shook my head. "No.  No if you needed me, I would be all you needed.  You wouldn't need that DIRTY WHORE!" I yelled, finding a surge of energy and trying my hardest to punch, scratch, claw, kick or even slap Ares.  He was strong enough to restrain me, but he was losing it.

"Guards!!!"  Ares called out, needing back up.  I kept up with my pounding, hearing the door open and heavy footsteps rushing towards us.

"YOUR DEAD TO ME, ARES!  I swear to every god out there I hate you!  HATE YOU I SAID!"  I yelled as two gaurds grabbed my arms and started dragging me out of the room, almost making me lose my footing twice.   "AND TELL THAT BITCH WHEN I SEE HER SHE'S DEAD!  BOTH OF YOU ARE DEAD!"  I shoved the gaurds away as hard as I could and then headed for the door, wiping my tears away.

"No. No, Athena, No!  I'm sorry! I can't go back in time and change it, I'm sorry!"  Ares called after me.  "Athena! Please, honey I'm sor-!" I reached the front door, slamming it on my way out.  They didn't open again as I ran across the street to my mansion.

But deep down inside me, I wish they would have.

*****

"Athena!"  I sat up straight,  feeling like my face was wet.  Hades knelt by me on the floor.  I wiped what seemed like tears and sweat from my face, breathing heavily from my dream.  "Are you alright?"  He asked raising an eyebrow, as though I was dumb.  

I nodded, letting out a shaky breath. "Yes, I am fine."  I said blankly. It wasn't lie.  

That memory still gave me nightmares.  

I relived those moments everyday in my head, sometimes during the day when I could push them away and focus on something else, but other times they haunted me at night.  I wish I would have done things differently.  I wish I would have told Ares it was fine, that we could work on things.  That everything was fine, and that I would forgive him.  Maybe all of this would have been avoided.  Maybe right now, instead of literally being trapped in hell, I'd be sitting in a chair on Olympus reading a book.  Probably married to Ares.  Maybe holding one of our children, or pregnant with one. I pushed the thought from my head, I was done with Ares. That future was gone. The man crouched beside me now was all I had.

Hades looked at me now, no doubt seeing I was troubled. "Okay. I only came to check in on you, I've got to get back to my meeting but I'll see you later for dinner."  Hades said, disappointed as usual, walking towards the door. "Be in the dinning room by 7."  He turned at the door and ordered, his sad eyes washing over me once more, and then left, leaving me starring into the fire.

"Yes, Lord Hades."

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